1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of improving crop residue decay in a field, and more particularly to a method of improving crop residue decay in a field using a tillage implement to create composting rows.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/003,896 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/889,488, by Flenker et al. each disclose tillage tool assemblies which can be mounted adjacent one another on a toolbar of an implement. Each tillage tool assembly is comprised of a first and second tillage tool, for example a disc blade, arranged in an opposing angular orientation such that the first and second disc blades of adjacently spaced tillage tool assemblies are angled outwardly toward one another. As the implement traverses the field, the angular orientation of the tillage tools turn, mix and work the crop residue into the soil and also move the crop residue out of the way of any trailing tillage tools, such as a shanks, chisels, and the like, thereby preventing the trailing tillage tools from becoming entangled with the crop residue.
A particular advantage of the tillage tool assemblies of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/003,896 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/889,488 is that the first and second tillage tools, e.g. disc blades, of each tillage tool assembly are angularly adjustable relative to one another and to the direction of travel of the implement. Thus, the amount of crop residue being turned over and worked into the soil can be varied as the implement traverses the field.
During field testing, it was shown that Fall tilling of a corn stubble field using an implement with the tillage tool assemblies of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/003,896 mounted thereon, significantly improved the soybean crop yield on that field the following year and that volunteer corn was significantly reduced. It was determined that the improved crop yield and reduced volunteer corn was a result of the improved composting of the corn crop residue, i.e. improved decay, deterioration or breakdown of the corn crop residue. It should be appreciated that, unlike the adjacently spaced, obliquely angled, single blades of a disk gang of a conventional tillage implement, for example, the two opposing, obliquely angled tillage tools of the tillage tool assemblies of the Flenker et al. inventions work together to throw the crop residue between the adjacently spaced tillage tools to create compost rows as the implement traverses the field. When analyzing the compost rows in the Spring of the year, it was determined that the corn crop residue was more thoroughly mixed with the soil than can be achieved by a conventional tillage implement, such as a tandem disk or chisel plow. Thus, because of the more thorough mixing, more surface area of the corn stubble residue is in contact with the soil, resulting in faster deterioration or decaying of the crop residue.
Based on the results of this field test, it was determined that there is a need in the industry for a method of tilling the soil, whether in the Fall or Spring, to improve crop residue deterioration in a field which will result in increases in crop yield at harvest and a reduction in volunteer crops.